The Contributions of Mutual Help Groups for Mental Health Problems to Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review

2010 ◽  
pp. 61-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Pistrang ◽  
Chris Barker ◽  
Keith Humphreys
2019 ◽  
pp. 070674371987702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sawayra Owais ◽  
Mateusz Faltyn ◽  
Ashley V. D. Johnson ◽  
Chelsea Gabel ◽  
Bernice Downey ◽  
...  

Objective: Although Indigenous women are exposed to high rates of risk factors for perinatal mental health problems, the magnitude of their risk is not known. This lack of data impedes the development of appropriate screening and treatment protocols, as well as the proper allocation of resources for Indigenous women. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare rates of perinatal mental health problems among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women. Methods: We searched Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science from their inceptions until February 2019. Studies were included if they assessed mental health in Indigenous women during pregnancy and/or up to 12 months postpartum. Results: Twenty-six articles met study inclusion criteria and 21 were eligible for meta-analysis. Indigenous identity was associated with higher odds of mental health problems (odds ratio [ OR] 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25 to 2.11). Odds were higher still when analyses were restricted to problems of greater severity ( OR 1.95; 95% CI, 1.21 to 3.16) and young Indigenous women ( OR 1.86; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.28). Conclusion: Indigenous women are at increased risk of mental health problems during the perinatal period, particularly depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. However, resiliency among Indigenous women, cultural teachings, and methodological issues may be affecting estimates. Future research should utilize more representative samples, adapt and validate diagnostic and symptom measures for Indigenous groups, and engage Indigenous actors, leaders, and related allies to help improve the accuracy of estimates, as well as the well-being of Indigenous mothers, their families, and future generations. Trial Registration: PROSPERO-CRD42018108638.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S95-S95
Author(s):  
S. Gorbeña ◽  
P. Penas ◽  
E. Calvete ◽  
I. Crespo ◽  
I. Iraurgi

IntroductionHigher risk of mental health problems has been linked with problems in relationships, including the experience of relational conflict with significant others and peers. Conversely, positive relations with others have been established as a key factor of psychological well being.ObjectivesWe hypothesized that psychological maladjustment will be related to the number, nature and severity of relational stressors. Furthermore, there would be a higher likelihood of risk of mental disorders for those who experience more relational hardships and of greater severity. Positive relations with others will protect from risk of mental health problems.MethodA total of 4461 university students completed a health and well-being survey, including the GHQ-12 (centesimal and 3-point cut-off scores), Ryff psychological well-being scale and a scale of 25 life stressors. Indexes of number and severity of difficulties in relationships were calculated with 10 items including romantic partners, friends, family, and classmates.ResultsCorrelations were significant. Logistic regression showed a risk effect for all stressors with OR values above 1.32. Overall perceived severity had the highest value (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 2.16–2.61) and amongst the 10 stressors, gender related abuse/violence was also the highest (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.73–2.09). Positive relations showed a protective effect (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.56–0.54).ConclusionsFindings can inform health promotion, prevention and therapeutic interventions so as to improve the quality of personal relationship and conflict management skills, and to strengthen well-being associated with positive relations with others. Academic institutions committed to student welfare and the promotion of healthy environments should play a major role in young adults’ mental health.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 952
Author(s):  
Dominika Głąbska ◽  
Aleksandra Kołota ◽  
Katarzyna Lachowicz ◽  
Dominika Skolmowska ◽  
Małgorzata Stachoń ◽  
...  

A potential role of vitamin D in some components of mental health is currently suggested, but the analyses are conducted mainly for adults, while for young individuals mental health is especially important, due to its lifelong effects. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between vitamin D intake or status and mental health in children within a systematic review of literature, including both intervention and observational studies. The literature search was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and it covered peer-reviewed studies included in databases of PubMed and Web of Science until October 2019. The studies presenting either vitamin D intake, or vitamin D status in human subjects were allowed (excluding subjects with intellectual disabilities, eating disorders and neurological disorders), while for mental health the various methods of assessment and wide scope of factors were included. The bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). The review was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42020155779). A number of 7613 studies after duplicate removing were extracted by two independent researchers, followed by screening and assessment for eligibility, conducted by two independent researchers in two steps (based on title and abstract). Afterwards, the full texts were obtained and after reviewing, a number of 24 studies were included. The synthetic description of the results was prepared, structured around exposure (vitamin D supplementation/status) and outcome (components of mental health). The included studies were conducted either in groups of healthy individuals, or individuals with mental health problems, and they assessed following issues: behavior problems, violence behaviors, anxiety, depressive symptoms/depression, aggressive disorder, psychotic features, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, suicidal incident, as well as general patterns, as follows: mental health, level of distress, quality of life, well-being, mood, sleep patterns. The vast majority of assessed studies, including the most prominent ones (based on the NOS score) supported potential positive influence of vitamin D on mental health in children. As a limitation of the analysis, it should be indicated that studies conducted so far presented various studied groups, outcomes and psychological measures, so more studies are necessary to facilitate comparisons and deepen the observations. Nevertheless, vitamin D intake within a properly balanced diet or as a supplementation, except for a safe sun exposure, should be indicated as an element supporting mental health in children, so it should be recommended to meet the required 25(OH)cholecalciferol blood level in order to prevent or alleviate mental health problems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail Hosen ◽  
Firoj al-Mamun ◽  
Mohammed A. Mamun

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic affects people's psychological well-being as well as their risk of physical complications. Under the circumstance, it is essential to synthesize the existing evidence on psychological consequences with a view to fostering policymaking. Thus, a systematic attempt was compiled to review the Bangladeshi literature related to common mental health problems (i.e. depression, anxiety, and stress) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature search was performed using Medline or PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, Google Scholar, PsyArxiv, MedRxiv, and ResearchGate, between 20 December 2020 and 5 March 2021, followed by predetermined eligibility criteria. The inclusion criteria for this review were observational studies involving at least one mental health problem (i.e. stress, depression, and anxiety) published in peer-reviewed journals or preprint servers in the English language after the inception of the pandemic in Bangladesh. The pooled prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 47% (95% CI 39–55%, I2 = 99.14%), 47% (95% CI 39–54%, I2 = 99.78%), and 44% (95% CI 30–58%, I2 = 99.36%), respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed that students were experiencing a higher rate of depression, anxiety, and stress than general people and healthcare professionals. The associated risk factors of mental health problems were gender, age, residence area, family size, monthly family income, educational status, marital status, physical exercise, smoking, alcohol use, fear of COVID-19, presence of chronic illness, unemployment status, and exposure to COVID-19-related news and social media. This systematic review provides baseline data on the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress across various Bangladeshi cohorts, which are anticipated to be helpful to the respective authorities for implementing cohort-specific mental health strategies.


2013 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merike Sisask ◽  
Peeter Värnik ◽  
Airi Värnik ◽  
Alan Apter ◽  
Judit Balazs ◽  
...  

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. e037237
Author(s):  
Zaida Orth ◽  
Brian van Wyk

IntroductionThe promotion of mental health well-being among global adolescent populations is of great public health and social significance. This is particularly true for adolescents living with chronic illnesses as studies have shown that these populations are at higher risk for developing mental health problems. There is vast recognition of the need for age and culturally appropriate interventions to promote mental well-being and prevent mental health problems. In stark contrast, there is a dearth of relevant measures of mental well-being for adolescents. Our proposed systematic review aims to identify measures of mental well-being and to assess content, psychometric properties and relevance to adolescent populations.Methods and analysisThe systematic review methodology will be guided by the seven steps proposed by Eggar, Davey and Smith. Documents will be sourced from electronic databases (Academic Search Complete, Educational Resource Information Center, Medical Literature Analysis Retrieval System Online, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature plus, PsyArticles, SocIndex and Sabinet). All documents will be exported to Mendeley and two reviewers will independently screen the titles, abstracts and full texts for inclusion. Any discrepancies will be resolved by a third party. We will include studies published in all languages from 2000 to 2020, that use an instrument(s) that measure mental well-being among adolescent populations. Studies reporting on clinically significant mental illnesses or disorders will be excluded. A descriptive meta-synthesis approach will be used to identify and describe the mental health instruments used among adolescent populations, and to report on the psychometric properties.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required. The results of this review will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication as well as conference presentations.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110175
Author(s):  
Roberto Rusca ◽  
Ike-Foster Onwuchekwa ◽  
Catherine Kinane ◽  
Douglas MacInnes

Background: Relationships are vital to recovery however, there is uncertainty whether users have different types of social networks in different mental health settings and how these networks may impact on users’ wellbeing. Aims: To compare the social networks of people with long-term mental illness in the community with those of people in a general adult in-patient unit. Method: A sample of general adult in-patients with enduring mental health problems, aged between 18 and 65, was compared with a similar sample attending a general adult psychiatric clinic. A cross-sectional survey collected demographic data and information about participants’ social networks. Participants also completed the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale to examine well-being and the Significant Others Scale to explore their social network support. Results: The study recruited 53 participants (25 living in the community and 28 current in-patients) with 339 named as important members of their social networks. Both groups recorded low numbers in their social networks though the community sample had a significantly greater number of social contacts (7.4 vs. 5.4), more monthly contacts with members of their network and significantly higher levels of social media use. The in-patient group reported greater levels of emotional and practical support from their network. Conclusions: People with serious and enduring mental health problems living in the community had a significantly greater number of people in their social network than those who were in-patients while the in-patient group reported greater levels of emotional and practical support from their network. Recommendations for future work have been made.


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